I'm tasting and ranking ALL these Mountain House meals — camping meal roundup

I'm headed out for a few days of camping and loaded up on a variety of mountain house meals to keep cooking easy and cleanup minimal. Freeze dried meals are my go-to when I want fast dinners (and sometimes lazy breakfasts) at the campsite. Over several trips I cooked and tasted eight different Mountain House meals and ranked them from worst to best. Here is the full breakdown, what cooked well, what did not, and which mountain house meals I would buy again.

Table of Contents

• What I tested
• How I cooked and a few quick tips
• Meal-by-meal impressions
• Final ranking — worst to best
• Quick takeaways
• Frequently asked questions

What I tested

• Veggie Chorizo Breakfast Scramble
• Korean Inspired Beef
• Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Bowl
• Cheesy Beef Enchilada Bowl
• Kung Pao Chicken
• Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken
• Chicken and Mashed Potatoes
• Chicken Tikka Masala

How I cooked and a few quick tips

I followed the package instructions for each of these mountain house meals but a few practical notes from testing that are worth repeating.

• Cooking time: follow the package, but some items benefit from a couple extra minutes. For example, the chicken and mashed potatoes needed 10 to 11 minutes instead of the listed seven so the chicken rehydrated properly.
• Remove oxygen absorbers: every pouch had a small packet labeled Do Not Eat. Take it out before adding hot water.
• Texture notes: anything with bread or thick crust can end up with a soggy outside and firmer inside. That was the main reason I did not like the pepperoni pizza bowl.
• Bring condiments: a little hot sauce made the chicken and mashed potatoes much better — I recommend a small squeeze bottle for camping.
• Gluten-free options: several mountain house meals here are gluten-free, like Kung Pao Chicken, Chicken and Mashed Potatoes, and Veggie Chorizo Breakfast Scramble. I call out gluten-free items in the reviews below.

Meal-by-meal impressions

Cheesy Beef Enchilada Bowl

This was the best smelling meal when I opened it and the flavor matched the aroma. Beef, rice, beans, corn tortilla, and enchilada sauce all rehydrated well. It had a nice spice and kick without being overpowering. A solid, all-around thumbs up.

Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Bowl

Contains pepperoni, cheese, crust, and tomato sauce. Cooked through in nine minutes. My issue was the crust texture: soggy on the outside yet firm when bitten into. Pepperoni flavor was weak; the pieces were small and did not read as pepperoni unless you were told that was the meal. The tomato sauce tasted familiar from other pasta dishes, but overall this one missed the mark for me.

Kung Pao Chicken (gluten-free)

Contains basmati rice, zucchini, and peppers. The chicken came out as big chunks that rehydrated fully after 15 minutes. Flavor was spicy with a pleasant kick and good aroma. This ended up being my favorite — great balance of protein, veggies, and rice. Highly recommended among the mountain house meals tested.

Chicken and Mashed Potatoes (gluten-free)

Classic comfort food. Needed more time than the package suggested to fully rehydrate the chicken, but once it did the texture and mashed potatoes were satisfying. Mild overall — a good option if you want something familiar, but not as exciting as the top contenders.

Korean Inspired Beef

I love Korean flavors, so I was eager to try this. It had rice, vegetables, and sausage. The flavor was okay, but the beef texture was a little tough and the sauce did not deliver the bright, savory profile I expected. My guest judge liked the flavor but found the beef hard to chew. Ranking-wise this landed near the lower end of the list.

Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken

Pasta cooked through nicely and the Alfredo sauce had a flavor I liked. Chicken rehydrated well too. It is a bit plain compared with the bolder dishes like Kung Pao or the enchilada bowl, but it is dependable comfort food.

Veggie Chorizo Breakfast Scramble (gluten-free)

I was wary of the breakfast scramble because older freeze dried egg meals sometimes had a strange watery texture. This version surprised me. Eggs rehydrated well, the plant-based chorizo had good spice, and the meal felt comforting. It ended up as one of my top picks and is a great grab-and-go breakfast from the mountain house meals lineup.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Contains garam masala seasoning, rice, cauliflower, and peas. This tasted surprisingly authentic for freeze dried — not on par with a restaurant, but it delivered the expected flavor profile and a gentle spice on the finish. My guest judge rated it an 8 out of 10 and said it tasted similar to restaurant-style tikka masala. A strong showing.

Final ranking — worst to best

1. Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Bowl — texture and weak pepperoni flavor kept this at the bottom.
2. Korean Inspired Beef — flavor acceptable but beef texture and sauce were underwhelming.
3. Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken — cooked well but a bit bland compared with others.
4. Chicken and Mashed Potatoes — comforting and okay, but not exciting.
5. Cheesy Beef Enchilada Bowl — great smell, good spice, and would buy again.
6. Chicken Tikka Masala — tasted like tikka masala with good flavor and a back-end spice.
7. Veggie Chorizo Breakfast Scramble — surprisingly good eggs and strong flavor; a top pick for breakfast.
8. Kung Pao Chicken — my number one. Great flavor, texture, and it checks the boxes for a quick, delicious campsite meal.

Quick takeaways

• If you want the most reliable, bold-flavored mountain house meals go for Kung Pao Chicken, Veggie Chorizo Breakfast Scramble, Chicken Tikka Masala, or the Cheesy Beef Enchilada Bowl.
• Bring a small condiment like hot sauce to boost milder dishes.
• Watch for breaded or crust items — the texture can be hit or miss after rehydration.
• Always remove the oxygen pack before adding water.

Frequently asked questions

Are any of these mountain house meals gluten-free?

Yes. Several of the meals tested are gluten-free, including Kung Pao Chicken, Chicken and Mashed Potatoes, and the Veggie Chorizo Breakfast Scramble. Check the package label for the most up-to-date allergen information.

How long do I need to rehydrate these freeze dried meals?

Follow the package instructions as a baseline. In my testing, most meals rehydrated in the recommended time, but items with larger protein chunks sometimes needed a few extra minutes. For example, Chicken and Mashed Potatoes took 10 to 11 minutes instead of the listed seven to fully rehydrate the chicken.

Do the mountain house meals taste like restaurant food?

Some come close for what they are. Chicken Tikka Masala and Kung Pao Chicken had strong, recognizable flavors. They will not fully replace a fresh restaurant meal, but they are impressive for freeze dried convenience.

Are the crust or bread components worth trying?

That is a personal preference. I found the crust in the Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Bowl to have an odd combination of soggy exterior and firmer interior, which I did not enjoy. If you like softer rehydrated bread textures, you might not mind it.

Should I pack condiments with my meals?

Yes. A tiny bottle of hot sauce or seasoning can significantly improve milder dishes like mashed potatoes or Alfredo. It made a noticeable difference during my camping meals.